


Irresisitble

by the_one_and_only_one



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fashion & Models, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-11
Updated: 2017-07-11
Packaged: 2018-11-30 18:56:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11469657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_one_and_only_one/pseuds/the_one_and_only_one
Summary: Underwear models. ‘Nuff said.





	Irresisitble

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Moonflower999](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moonflower999/gifts).



> As per usual, I am awful with titles, so full credit goes to Moon for the name. Also, massive thanks to Katie for reading over this and pointing out all the errant commas. Last but not least, thank you to Schweet and Katie (again, lol) for hosting. (I hope I didn’t miss anyone out.)  
> PS I have been informed today is National Mojito Day for my American friends, so Happy National Mojito Day everyone!

Merlin was nervous; there wasn’t any point denying it. He’d been a Camelot Knight for just under a year now and was part of the group of models selected to walk the runway for the Camelot’s Secret Fashion Show in London this week. All the other Knights had been very accommodating and welcoming when he was chosen to do the show, except for Will. He’d been an utter twat. On his first day, Merlin had been insulted countless times, and all the insults had been invented by Will himself; he was infuriatingly creative apparently. The rest of the Knights had stepped in and taken Merlin under their wing, and he got into the habit of avoiding Will, just like the rest. 

The week leading up to the show was filled with rehearsals, photoshoots and last-minute gym sessions, and finally, _finally_ , it was the morning of the show. While most of backstage was a mess of people running around finishing off last-minute jobs, Merlin and the rest of the Knights were safely ensconced in the dressing rooms getting their hair styled and their faces made up. Merlin’s make-up artist was a bubbly young woman named Gwen. She and Merlin talked as if they were long lost friends, getting along instantly. Most of what, or rather who, they spoke about was Lance, her husband and another Knight. He was the first one to come to Merlin’s defence that first day when Will was being rude. 

Merlin was used to having make-up done, it was all part of the job, and it was relaxing; closing his eyes and letting someone else take care of everything always calmed his nerves before a show. He could feel the gentle pressure of the lip gloss applicator on his lips, the liquid pen of the eyeliner. He opened his eyes to allow her to apply kohl to his water line, only slightly scared she might accidentally poke his eye. Gwen’s favourite part of the job, it seemed, was doing Merlin’s hair. At first, she stroked and played with his hair for a while, her nails gently scraping his scalp every so often, until she realised what exactly she was supposed to be doing.

“Oh, sorry!” Gwen said, picking up some gel. “I get so distracted when you lot have good hair. Gwaine’s is impossible to let go, but don’t tell him I said that, or I’ll never live it down.” Merlin smiled and felt her hands go back to his hair, this time with purpose. 

When it was time, the Knights all lined up backstage. The show would have live music being played on stage, and Merlin was excited for it -- Bruno Mars was one of his favourite artists. When the opening of the song blared out through all the speakers and the music started, Merlin’s nerves came back in full force. He’d done catwalks before, but this one felt...different, and he wasn’t sure why.

Gwaine was the first Knight to head out. He swung his hips slightly in time to the beat and hooked his thumb into the waistband of his tight black boxer briefs, the iconic Camelot’s Secret branding visible behind his hand. His body had been oiled slightly, showing off his toned abs and he grinned at the camera and audience when he got to the end of the stage. Lance and Percy were next and all too soon, it was time for Arthur to walk out, his golden hair looking like a halo. On his return, Arthur smiled at Merlin, wishing him luck. 

He took one final deep breath before walking out. The lights were blinding and the glittered flooring of the stage reflected the dazzling lights back; it wasn’t helping his nerves in the slightest. Merlin was halfway down the stage when he realised that Bruno Mars had been walking alongside him, singing and dancing. Forcing himself to keep walking in time to the music, he let his body move to the beat a little, half-dancing, half-flailing down the rest of the catwalk. He smiled to the camera at the end, and even risked blowing a kiss out to it before striding back towards the stage wings.

Will was the last Knight to walk out on the stage; his and Merlin’s paths crossed just in front of the band. Merlin offered him a smile, Will just scowled at him before turning and flashing a winning smile at the audience and cameras. Merlin honestly didn’t know what else to do with Will, but seeing as now wasn’t the time, he walked into the wings—directly into the arms of the rest of the Knights, congratulating him on his first walk with them on stage. 

They had formed a huddle when they heard a groaning sound from the stage. The music had stopped and there was no sound coming from the audience. The boys shared a look between themselves before Arthur turned toward the stage. He peered round the curtains and Merlin _wished_ he could see what was happening. Just as Merlin was about to go ask Arthur what was going on, a huge crash thundered through the building, shaking the walls around them. It was completely silent again. Then, a piercing scream echoed back towards them. The audience began to clamour, and Merlin forced his way out towards the stage. He felt, rather than saw or heard, the rest of the Knights come up behind him, looking out.

Right in the middle, barely twenty metres further than where Merlin and Will’s paths crossed, was a body, trapped beneath what looked to be the entire lighting column—spotlights, beams and all. Out of the corner of his eye, Merlin saw a stagehand hold their phone up to their ear, heard them almost whisper the words “ambulance, please”, as if they couldn’t believe it themselves. 

Enough was enough, Merlin decided. Somebody needed to go see how badly the person was injured. He pushed past Arthur and his shouts of “Merlin, wait! It’s not safe out there!” Gingerly, he took a few steps out. The glittering stage looked entirely different in the strange darkness that had engulfed them. 

As Merlin walked out, he saw the band members huddled together. That left two people that could be trapped. He turned towards the fallen lighting rig, noticing someone kneeling next to it. The shiny coat and the sunglasses of the crouched body could only belong to Bruno Mars. Merlin swallowed. Will was stuck. 

Stumbling, Merlin tried to run the last few metres towards the collapsed rig. Will’s eyes were sliding shut, and Merlin could see a large pool of blood spreading out around his head. 

“Will! Will, stay with us. I need you to open your eyes, okay?” Merlin stretched his hands out uselessly. “Look at me, and breathe, but keep your eyes open.” 

Will blinked blankly a few more times before looking at Merlin, as if only just noticing him. “What have you done?” Will slurred. “‘M stuck under these poles.” His eyes slid down, over the rig trapping his body. Merlin tried calming him with a gentle touch to his shoulder, but Will was not pleased. “Get your hands off me!”

Merlin was shocked. Here was someone, in his dying moments, pushing away the one person who was trying to help. He walked back up the stage, seeing Arthur watch him with worried eyes; the rest of the knights talking to the stagehand, trying to understand how the whole lighting rig could have fallen. 

The rest of the night was a blur for Merlin. He remembered the appearance of the paramedics clearly, as well as the firefighters who helped to move the structure from Will’s body, but besides that, he wasn’t sure what happened in the window between their arrival and the time Will was pronounced “dead at the scene”.

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was written for [Kill Will](http://killwill-fest.livejournal.com/) on LJ.


End file.
